What is OLED? And how will it change the way I consume content on my smartphone?

OLED is the latest in the world of screen technology – but what does it actually mean?

Following the launch of Sony’s XZ3, featuring a stunning 6-inch HDR OLED display, we wanted to break down the benefits of a technology at the forefront of image quality and explain how Sony, working exclusively with BRAVIA® engineers, have used their award-winning BRAVIA OLED TV technologies to re-configure the way you enjoy digital content.

What does OLED stand for and how does it work?

OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode. Put simply, OLED’s are made from organic compounds such as carbon that light up when an electrical current is passed through them. They are tiny enough to be used as individual pixels on a screen, with the ability to turn off completely when needed.

This enables OLED displays to produce true blacks, unlike LCD displays which require a backlight to operate and emit a glow at all times, even when total darkness is the goal.

What are the visual benefits of an OLED display?

Having more pixels is at the core of a better display, especially as the content we watch is increasingly captured in higher quality formats. This is where Sony’s XZ3 OLED display with BRAVIA technology comes into its own.

Boasting the best display of the world’s leading smartphones, the brand new XZ3’s OLED display delivers pure blacks with a higher contrast ratio, producing more detailed information and richer colours for more immersive viewing, especially in darker conditions.

And it’s not just good for watching content originally captured in 4K. Pair the XZ3’s OLED display with Sony’s X-reality™ for mobile, which will up-convert content to near High Dynamic Range (HDR), and even when you’re streaming videos (for example via YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.) you’ll enjoy better quality playback that feels like a premium movie experience.